If Apple is running into problems in the US and other territories, it certainly isn't in Germany. The Mac maker yesterday touted a 62 per cent rise in annual revenue as a sign that Germany is its most important European market.

The company does seem to have finally had some success here. Apple has long been a minority player in the German PC business, and while its marketshare remains small, it is growing rapidly.

Overall, Apple grabbed 2.4 per cent of the market in fiscal 2000, up from 1.5 per cent in 1998. In the consumer arena - one of Apple's focus points - it accounted for 3.4 per cent of the market, a significant improvement on 1998's figure of 0.8 per cent. Its user-base grew 30 per cent over the last 12 months.

Success in Germany is particularly impressive given the very aggressive, price-sensitive nature of the German PC market, particularly in the consumer space. Apple Germany has also managed to push its products out into the major German national retail chains, including Media Markt, Karstadt and Gravis.

Still, it's not all rosy. Apple's Cube failed to take off, much like everywhere else. ®